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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28022289">HITMAN: Codename Echo</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzzyRaimi/pseuds/IzzyRaimi'>IzzyRaimi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Assassination Classroom, Hitman (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:13:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,372</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28022289</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzzyRaimi/pseuds/IzzyRaimi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years after Nagisa Shiota and Karma Akabane graduated from school, and three years after Nagisa assassinated Koro-sensei on behalf of Class 3-E, the two students have been called in and recruited by the International Contract Agency. Now as fully realized professional assassins employed by the ICA, Agents Nagisa and Karma will embark on a globe trotting adventure as they make their mark in the underground world of contract killing.</p><p>Follow the exploits of Echo Team, and their handler David McKee, as they enter the World of Assassination.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Story So Far</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Note:  This story starts three years after Assassination Classroom in 2018, shortly before the events of the World of Assassination Trilogy in Hitman.  The story also takes place in an alternate universe that is different from the canon of Assassination Classroom.<br/>Koro-Sensei's abilities have been downplayed to the point where he's a bit more realistically feasible.  The moon is intact and is not a permanent crescent, and the extraordinary monster abilities he possessed are now akin to peak genetic engineering.  The same goes for the more fantastical elements.  There are less tentacles and are more in tune with the world of Hitman.  The rest of the events of Assassination Classroom otherwise play out normally.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Assassination Classroom.</p><p>That was the name of Class 3-E, the class that consisted of the worst performing students of Kunugigaoka Junior High.  What would become their bottomless pit of unsuccessful misfortune would be the happening of an eventful year.</p><p>A mysterious and genetically engineered former assassin going by the name of Koro-sensei took to becoming the teacher of E-Class, on one condition.  They had until the end of the school year to assassinate him, or he would bomb various places in the entire world, starting with Tokyo.  Throughout the year, many attempts were made to kill Koro-sensei with the assistance of other teachers to help them.  </p><p>Agent Tadaomi Karasuma of the Japanese Ministry of Defense, former assassin Irina Jelivic and her handler Lovro Brofski.</p><p>As the year progressed, many other assassins had tried to kill Koro-sensei, even going so far as to try to kill the students of E-Class.  But through the many lessons from the art of assassination, they all functioned as a cohesive unit, besting the assassins that would dare challenge E-Class and Koro-sensei.</p><p>In the end, however, Koro-sensei died by the hand of E-Class, just as was promised by the agreement.</p><p>E-Class had graduated, and the class became close through the teachings of Koro-sensei.  But, there was one other interested party that lurked in the shadows.</p><p>The International Contract Agency, an assassination firm that had ties all around the world and within the intelligence community, had their eyes carefully trained on E-Class as their assassination skills were sharpened.  Three years after graduation, the ICA contacted the class regarding an interest in employment, and an opportunity to become professional assassins.  Of the twenty-eight students contacted, only two accepted the offer.</p><p>Nagisa Shiota and Karma Akabane.</p><p>This is where the story of the assassins known as Echo Team begins...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Evaluation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just a few days removed from completing their simulations and final test, former E-Class students Nagisa Shiota and Karma Akabane arrive at ICA HQ to meet with Diana Burnwood, the Handler of the legendary Agent 47, to discuss their test results and how they will be utilized as professional assassins at the employ of the ICA.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The last several days had been intense.</p><p>Never would they have imagined something much tougher than school. From all of the teachings of assassinations back in Class 3-E, nothing like this could compare to what the two boys experienced from before.</p><p>Nagisa thought his entrance exams were stressful, but it was only the tip of the iceberg that was the ICA evaluation for every initiate hired. It was several days worth of written and physical tests, all of which were exhausting. Of course, Nagisa and Karma had trained for months in preparation for these tests, but even then, a single test was enough to leave them passed out by the end of the day.</p><p>The simulation mission, which took place a few days ago, was all the more taxing, being held in one of ICA's undisclosed locations, a snowy, mountainous region that had been owned by the Agency for decades. Both of the former E Class students had their work cut out for them, performing an assassination that was unlike the exercises they performed in the past. Unsurprisingly, considering their caliber, they both got through it.</p><p>Karma was oozing with confidence. Having a naturally high IQ and charisma made him quite a popular subject among the administers. He was more than confident he passed no problem. He did admit, he got a huge thrill torturing his target with wasabi. It may have cost him points, but to him, it was worth it. Nagisa, on the other hand, was feeling the exact opposite. He had let some very personal details slip during his psyche evaluation and not to mention his blood lust was on full display during his simulated mission. Certainly they wouldn’t want someone that dangerous and unstable among their ranks, would they?</p><p>As soon as they were notified that their test results were done being evaluated, there were to meet with Diana Burnwood personally at ICA HQ in Copenhagen, Denmark to discuss their results. Sensitive information such as this absolutely could not be discussed over the phone. This news excited Karma. Meeting Diana Burnwood was quite the feat! Did that mean that her Agent, the <em><b>Hitman,</b></em> would be there as well? Karma had heard stories of the Silent Assassin, and couldn't contain the wide smile on his face. Very few met the deadliest killer the underworld could ever know about, and lived to tell about it.</p><p>Nagisa was nothing but silent on the entire trip from the hotel to ICA HQ. The two of them took extra time to look well kept through their entire examination and today was no exception. They didn’t want to stand out among the many well dressed professionals here. They were in casual wear, but still spiffy enough for both of them. Nagisa wore a blue button-up shirt with brown pants and boots, with a khaki short brimmed hat nestled on top of his short cut blue hair. He was ecstatic that he was now free from the longer hair and pigtails, and felt himself again. Doubly so being examined to become an assassin for a prestigious contract killing agency like the ICA.</p><p>Karma, being roughly a foot taller than Nagisa in the three years since they graduated from Junior High, parted his hair with his bangs sweeping over the right side of his face, with a leather jacket over a red, long sleeved shirt, blue pants and sneakers. Should they be welcomed in as contract killers, Karma promised Nagisa to get some professional clothes for the both of them. Nagisa had to admit, getting something specifically tailored was new to him since most clothes came no where close to fitting his very petite frame.</p><p>Noticing his nervous friend shaking with anxiety in the long elevator ride up to the undisclosed conference room, Karma casually reached out to give him a comforting side hug. “Relax, man. You got this!” He said, reassuring Nagisa. “I’m sure you passed, too. I mean, yeah, you probably didn’t score as high as yours truly, but the ICA would be insane not to hire you as well!” His tone sounded too cheerful, considering their future field of work. Nagisa smiled weakly, but didn't respond. His mind was racing too much from everything that was happening. He was still incredibly unsure of even going through with this profession...</p><p>Karma leaned into his ear, grinning devilishly. “Who knows? Today we might even meet the Hitman...”</p><p>Nagisa blinked, glancing to the side. “The what now?”</p><p>The taller of the two laughed. “That's right. You never heard of him!” He said, patting him on the back. “The Hitman is the top assassin in the entire world. Even better than the ones that taught us to assassinate Koro-sensei.”</p><p>Nagisa tilted his head. “He's <em>that</em> good?”</p><p>“Without question. No one had ever seen his face, and if someone did, it would be the last thing they ever saw before he killed them. He's an urban legend to many, like the boogeyman.”</p><p>“Wow...” Nagisa was enamored. How could someone like him measure up to a legend like the Hitman? After the scores he obtained in his exam, there were whispers about how they hadn't seen anything like Nagisa's skills in such a long time. They couldn't be comparing him to the Hitman, could they...?</p><p>“Is he better than even the Reaper?”</p><p>Karma was about to elaborate more as they had just arrived at their floor. “I'll tell you more about it later.” He whispered. Silently, they checked in with the receptionist up front and were taken inside a sound proof conference room. They sat down, waiting for further instruction.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>Gathering up her files, photographs, and a thumb drive of the footage from the exams, evaluations and simulation mission, Diana stuffed them in a manila envelope as she strode out of her office to meet the new initiates of the ICA. After she oversaw the evaluation of their tests, Diana did a further deep dive on Nagisa Shiota and Karma Akabane.</p><p>From what she gathered, they were part of a very unusual year in Junior High in Japan, not only being victims of student abuse and neglect, but also endured training to become assassins to kill their teacher, whom was dubbed Koro-sensei by both of them. Some further research of Koro-sensei lead to background checks on an assassin known as "the Reaper", surprisingly not in relation to Agent 47. Not much was known of the Reaper after some experiments were performed on him, but it was assumed that the Reaper became Koro-sensei and somehow got multiple professional assassins involved in training Class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High into becoming trained killers themselves.</p><p>The entire premise was a mess, considering the fact 47 assassinated the principal responsible for the mistreatment of 3-E after his subsequent termination. She pondered what sort of acquisition these two young men would be? Reports stated how mentally unwell the two were, and yet, they were tops in their evaluations, even scoring high in torture, stealth, execution, and performed splendidly in the simulation mission</p><p>Approaching the conference room, Diana pushed the doors open, and smiled warmly at the initiates. "Nagisa Shiota. Karma Akabane." She began as she walked to the table and shook their hands. "I'm Diana Burnwood. Welcome to the International Contract Agency."</p><p>Nagisa’s heart nearly stopped at the sound of Diana entering the room. Both boys immediately stood up, bowing respectfully before gratefully shaking her hand in a proper business fashion before taking a seat once more.</p><p><br/>
“It’s truly an honor to meet you in person, Miss Burnwood.”, Karma greeted in his typical charismatic way. While he normally would test authority figures, he knew very well what people he shouldn’t cross and Miss Burnwood was one of them. She was a Handler for the world’s most infamous assassin for a reason.</p><p>“Likewise, Karma.” Diana said, nodding.</p><p>“So, when do we get to meet the Hitman?” Karma asked bluntly, not even missing a beat. Nagisa nudged him, absolutely flustered he would even ask such a question.</p><p>“Karma...”</p><p>“What? I know he works here. What's bad about meeting him?”</p><p>“Don't embarrass us, alright?” Nagisa said as his head hung low, already feeling sheepish. “It's not a good look.”</p><p>Diana raised an eyebrow before smiling coyly. In time, she'd teach him about ICA's top assassin, but they had pressing matters first. "He's halfway across the world on assignment." She said, taking a seat.</p><p>Karma slumped back into he chair, huffing. “Aw, man. That's a drag.”</p><p>Diana's smile persisted. "After we're done discussing your ranks and how ICA will handle you, we can talk about him further." She then tapped the manila envelope on the table. "The main reason you're here is to discuss your recent evaluation. I've went over all of the results of the tests and the simulation, and I'm proud to say you both passed with flying colors.</p><p>Nagisa’s face lit up at the news. It wasn’t surprising Karma had passed but he was so happy he made the cut too. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. Karma grinned at him, proud of his friend. They would definitely have to go celebrate after they were done here. Diana, however, continued.</p><p>“However..." She leaned forward, her eyes piercing the both of them. "Many details about you two are... concerning.”</p><p>The boys nodded. Nagisa, as did Karma, knew there would come a time to where they'd have to address anything the ICA wanted to know about them.</p><p>“I understand, Miss Burnwood.” Nagisa acknowledged, making sure to contain his excitement and remain professional. “I know mine and Karma's cases are very...unique, to say the least. We’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you have about us.”</p><p>Karma leaned back, his arm hung over the back of the chair. “We have nothing to hide.” He said with a confident grin. “Not like we can, even if we tried. This <em>is</em> the ICA, after all. If your intel team couldn’t pull up our entire backgrounds, then I would be questioning this organization’s abilities.”</p><p>"Luckily for you, we have only the best." Diana quipped as she grabbed the envelope. "Perhaps you can shed a bit of light for us on the details our intel teams couldn't procure." Slipping out a few papers, Diana looked them over, before eyeing Nagisa and Karma.</p><p>"While it's no secret the examiners spoke highly of you, the psyche tests have produced some equally clashing results. You both displayed incredible prowess in assassination, improvisation and adaptation. In a moment, we'll go over how you both did in the sims, but that leads from how you both were evaluated psychologically." She leafed through a few pages before setting her papers down. "The psychologists here at ICA have deemed you both to be neuroatypical. A diagnosis not too uncommon with our assassins, but you two almost frightened a few of our mediators."</p><p>She then glanced toward the golden eyed young man.</p><p>"Karma, it's been stated you are sociopathic, sadistic and incredibly manipulative. Our experts were nearly swayed by you, and that's a legitimate concern for us here. How can we be certain you won't manipulate ICA for your own agenda?</p><p>Karma expected the results of his psyche evaluation to be brought up. He had definitely seen his fair share of therapists in his life time to know that his diagnoses were anything but normal. Karma had a long history of violent and sadistic behavior, often deemed out of control from his teachers.</p><p>“I have to say, Miss Burnwood, I <em>am</em> quite surprised.” Karma replied smoothly. “I would have thought my case wouldn’t be so unique as to scare your staff. Though, I've often been told I <em>am</em> high maintenance.” He let out a small chuckle at that. “Don't worry. I'm not interested in manipulating the Agency for a hostile takeover. On top of that, I have no desire to harm anyone other than who I’m contracted to kill. It’s not my style to go after innocent people. It’s counter intuitive and a huge waste of time. The only thing on my agenda is to take down true cancers of society.”</p><p>Diana watched the young man closely. Karma was incredibly smooth and charismatic, but that wouldn't deter her from being steadfast against the initiate. "All the same," She started. "While your skills are more than welcome, it's apparent how effective you can be at persuasion and instilling fear. How you may feel about your future targets is your prerogative, but don't go on thinking that ICA is some idealistic company that thinks itself as high and mighty. We're nothing more than a neutral firm with ties all over the world, and we task our agents to assassinate those that are otherwise bad people in their own right."</p><p>Leaning back, Diana continued. "That being said, you can still be prone to getting carried away with yourself, despite your excellence in such things as torture, which you so clearly displayed during the simulation. You're now in ICA's employ, so I would suggest you keep yourself professional when out on the field. It's not worth jeopardizing a mission or invalidating a contract to sate your wanton need for suffering." She then offered a smirk. "...Unless it is stated within the contract to do so."</p><p>Karma smirked impishly. “Of course, Miss Burnwood.” He said. “Going against ICA’s policies isn't something I would dream of doing. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It would be foolish to throw that all of way just because of my own selfish desires.” Karma propped his head up with a fist, resting on it as he was relishing the idea of being a fully fledged assassin. “You’re absolutely right, however. The client’s wishes in the contract will first and foremost be honored. Once an assignment starts, our morals no longer matter. After all, we have the right to accept or deny a contract, do we not?”</p><p>Nagisa had been awfully quiet as the two were talking. The blue haired initiate was shuffling in his chair with an anxious feeling brewing in his chest. He was watching this back and forth with Diana with a bit of uneasiness, knowing that his mental record was far from clean as well. It was only a matter of time before it was his turn.</p><p>Diana licked her lips, choosing her words carefully. While a lot of what the Agency did was unethical, and in some ways, morally bankrupt, he didn't want Karma to have an inflated ego and approach each contract with a hammer.</p><p>“That may be true. You're free to refuse a contract, and you can complete it any way you so desire if you choose to accept it, so long as the agreement is fulfilled. But it's important you maintain a professional air about you. You're not a barbarian, Karma. You're an Agent. Do your best to remember that.”</p><p>Diana's tone was curt and to the point, nipping that subject in the bud before Karma could try to convince her to be as ruthless as possible on his missions. Maybe it had been her history with working alongside Agent 47, but she expected other Agents to be as professional as he would be, though even she was aware people would get carried away by violent desires.</p><p>Her attention was then diverted over to Nagisa, who had been displaying signs of nervousness as the pair spoke to each other. Leaning forward, her tone changed. “While Karma is a cause for concern on his end, this leads me to you, Nagisa.” She said, before she tapped her thumbs together as she cast her gaze down. Nagisa was a difficult case. One could say a bit more than Karma would be. His history and his own psyche was... complicated. “I want to reiterate that what you said to the psychologists was recorded, and I may end up playing the recording back in order to get a clear idea of why you are they way you are. If you so desire, do you wish to have Karma leave so we can talk alone?”</p><p>Karma was more than prepared to leave Nagisa alone temporarily to discuss matters between the two. He got up from his chair, about to head for the door, with a smile to his friend. However, Nagisa swiftly grabbed his friend’s arm, giving him a pleading gaze to stay before turning his attention back over to Diana.</p><p>“I trust Karma more than anyone else in the world.” Nagisa said. “He’s not just a co-worker, or even an old classmate. He's a good friend. I would actually prefer that he stay. He knows about my past and he has my consent to hear our conversation.”</p><p>Karma smiled, sitting back down. “Aw, Nagisa! I had no idea you had feelings towards me! Alright, if you want me to, I’ll stay. I can even hold your hand if that will make you feel better!” Karma teased. Nagisa released the taller red head, suddenly embarrassed by his choice of words.</p><p>“Th-that’s not what I meant!” He said, exasperated as his face turned red. Karma laughed, satisfied with the smaller boy’s reaction. Even after all this time, Karma had not stopped teasing Nagisa.</p><p>Diana couldn't help but smile at the two. They were no doubt inseparable. It was going to be difficult for them to be going solo on their career paths as agents.</p><p>The blue haired initiate sighed, calming himself before speaking up to the veteran Handler. “Okay, Miss Burnwood. What would you like to know?”</p><p>With a nod, Diana produced the thumb drive from the manila, as she plugged it into a computer that was hooked up to a giant screen behind them.</p><p>“I'd like to go over your... interesting ideas of disguises.” She said as she grabbed a remote from the center of the table. Pressing a button, she replayed footage from Nagisa's portion of the simulation. In the footage, Nagisa wore what looked like a woman's halter-top, skirt and heels, with his normally forehead covering bangs hastily parted to one side to give off a pixie hairstyle.</p><p>“Here you are, just before you set to tail the target, procuring the clothes from one of our <em>female</em> actors.” Diana pointed out. “Disguises aren't an uncommon thing, but to dress in drag is an entirely different matter on its own. The most impressive detail is how incredibly well you passed as a woman, even to the target.”</p><p>Nagisa was reminded of the creative way he took down the target during the simulation. He took advantage of his androgynous appearance to fool the target actor, even seducing him to get them in an isolated area to take him out. Nagisa flushed with embarrassment, not even wanting to look at the screen. Karma couldn’t help but chuckle. It never ceases to amuse him when Nagisa dresses in feminine clothes.</p><p>Diana paused the footage, before pressing another button, now showing Nagisa in the interrogation room in between his exams. “From your time with the psychologists, however, we seem to know why that's the case.” She let the footage play, this time the sound was present.</p><p>“<em>...And this all started with your mother?”</em></p><p>“<em>Yeah. She told me so many times that she always wanted to have a daughter. Everything was just projected onto me to be her perfect little girl.”</em></p><p>“<em>But you don't see yourself as a woman?”</em></p><p>“<em>No. I'm a boy. Always have been.”</em></p><p>“<em>And from what I understand, your hair was longer before? Did she make you keep it that way?”</em></p><p>“<em>She did. Mom would never let me cut my hair, would never let me dress in my own clothes, or even let me do anything that wasn't what </em><em><b>she</b></em><em> wanted. Every time I defied her, she would go into a very dark place, and fly off the handle. She's the reason I read people so easily.”</em></p><p>Diana paused the footage, before turning back to Nagisa. “The first time I heard that, I could barely believe it. I thought you were simply being ingenious, and you probably were during the simulation, but to hear something <em>that</em> far rooted into you is... inhumane.”</p><p>Coming from the Handler of Agent 47, that said a lot. It took quite a bit to unsettle Diana, but considering how she cared for Victoria, and how her own parents raised her before their deaths, she couldn't imagine how someone's own family could nearly destroy someone. People were monsters, simple as that.</p><p>“Your mother abused you, that much is obvious. In what ways did her abuse affect you?” She asked.</p><p>Opening up about his abuse was a huge step for Nagisa. He was grateful that Diana was being sensitive toward his situation. “Mom and I are mending things together ever since I graduated from school, but the damage was already done.” He answered truthfully. “I wouldn’t wish what she did to me on my worst enemies. I still don’t know if I have it in my heart to truly forgive her.”</p><p>Diana nodded, understanding Nagisa perfectly. She could tell that his mother did a lot of reprehensible things, and while she only had an idea of what she did to the poor young man, the fact she shaped him into a deadly assassin was drawing a ton of parallels to another...</p><p>“One thing's for certain,” He continued. “I know she had an effect on me, especially when it came for discovering my natural talent. Every time I went into bloodlust, it’s like I know everything my opponent is about to do and I don’t think I would have ever discovered that talent if it hadn’t been for my mom.”</p><p>“That was another thing I was about to bring up with you, Nagisa." Diana said. "This 'bloodlust' was touched on a lot during your psyche evaluation. Considering the way your own mother shaped you into someone so calculating, this is what concerned me and many others within the ICA." She pressed a few buttons on the remote before playing back the footage again.</p><p>
  <em>"Tell me more about this bloodlust." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's hard for me to describe. It's as if I go into a different state of mind, not thinking of anything else except killing the target. Things just become normal for me, like I'm walking to school, or going to the store to pick up the milk. I just smile, walk toward my target, and the last thing they realize, they're dead." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"...And when you slip into this bloodlust, nothing else comes to mind except killing your target?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah. Nothing else." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Now, what happens after your target is dead? What do you think about after your mission is completed?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>". . ." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Nagisa?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"...I think about when I get to kill another target. About when I get to kill again." </em>
</p><p>The video paused, and Diana turned to face the young assassin. "Needless to say, you stumped our experts in a big way. They thought you to be psychopathic, but unlike Karma, you're not egotistical, and you certainly don't manipulate others for your own means. On your own, you're a very nice, professional, and conversational person. But what they concluded what your bloodlust was is nothing more than what we call a very sharp killing intent. That level of focus is unlike anything we had seen before."</p><p>Nagisa nodded. The concern was understandable, seeing how unpredictable he was in that state. Even hearing it be played back to him made Nagisa feel uneasy. He remained silent, as his gaze was cast downward at his lap. Diana smirked, though, knowing full well Karma was going to like this detail.</p><p>"Not since our top assassin was initiated into the ICA." She said.</p><p>“Woah, excuse me!?” Karma asked as his eyes widened, knowing exactly who Diana was referring to. Nagisa's head perked up the moment his voice rose. “Hold on a sec!” He shouted. “Are you telling me Nagisa is second best to the <em>Hitman?!”</em></p><p>Diana nodded.</p><p>Nagisa shook his head in disbelief. “What?! Miss Burnwood, I... That... Y-you can't really be serious!” He was exasperated, shaking his hands and trying to downplay himself. “Y-you must be mistaking me for someone else. I can’t really be <em>that</em> special. I’m just a normal guy from Tokyo. This Hitman... Well... he’s...” Nagisa couldn’t find the right words to describe him. He didn’t even really know who he was until Karma mentioned him briefly on the elevator ride up.</p><p>“No way!” Karma said. “That's the <em>Hitman</em> you're talking about, Miss Burnwood! No one, <em><b>no one</b></em> does it better than he does! Nagisa's good, but even he's not <em>that </em>good!” Even Nagisa could agree with Karma. He was still humble to accept that he had much to learn, especially with his bloodlust, but if the Hitman was like a phantom that no one ever knew about, Nagisa couldn't even hold a candle to someone like that...</p><p><em>"He</em> is something special." Diana said as her smirk persisted. "I must say, we've never had anyone that would give him an equal."</p><p>Nagisa and Karma were stunned silent. They both could barely believe what they were hearing. Diana relished it, however. To tell someone they matched her star agent was the highest compliment to be given, and not to be taken lightly.</p><p>"When I watched the footage, you showed remarkable parallels." She said. "It was almost uncanny with how focused and pinpoint you could be, Nagisa. So when I say that you're that good..." Diana then slipped a photo out of the manilla, and handed it over to the initiates. "...You'd better believe that ICA sees you as a phenominal asset, just as this particular individual."</p><p>While Nagisa couldn’t believe the immense praise he was getting for his talent in assassination. He was still trying the process that he was now a professional killer, let alone one of their top agents. When the photo was handed to the pair, Karma took it, and looked image over. He couldn't believe it! Was that the very same person he had heard so much about?</p><p>"Miss Burnwood..." Karma started, blinking and trying to process it. "Is that... <em>the Hitman?"</em></p><p>Diana nodded, blinking slowly. <em>"That</em> is Agent 47. ICA's top assassin, and an urban legend the world over. As we have also discovered..." Her gaze fell on the shorter initiate. "...You match 47's finesse <em>perfectly,</em> Nagisa."</p><p>He looked over the photo with Karma. So, this was what the world’s mysterious and deadliest assassin looks like. Nagisa looked at him in awe. Normally he could get an idea about what kind of person someone was just by their features alone, but this man... He was unreadable. That alone made someone the ideal person for this line of work.</p><p>There were <em>very</em> few people Nagisa couldn't read. He never saw the man work, and 47 was already perfect...</p><p>“I wasn’t sure what I was expecting.” Nagisa finally said about several minutes of silence. “But it certainly wasn’t a bald man in a suit.”</p><p>"A far cry from the overzealous, bloodthirsty killers you've come to know back in your old school, is he not?" Diana asked. ICA knew of Nagisa and Karma's history with past assassins teaching them along with Koro-sensei. Each of them were over the top as one could get, including the infamous Irina Jelavic of Serbia. Seeing 47 must have been something radically different for the both of them.</p><p>"I can't believe this is the <em>Hitman..."</em> Karma breathed, before laughing. "No one has ever seen this man, Nagisa! If we were his targets, we'd be dead without a word. They don't call him the Silent Assassin for nothing."</p><p>"That's precisely how he operates." Diana added. "47 is popular, and our most in demand assassin the ICA has on offer. He's focused, committed, and will complete whatever contract that has been assigned to him to the letter. Our clients often have to make absolutely certain they wish to hire 47."</p><p>Karma looked over to Nagisa. "And to think, you nearly match him..." He said. "Guess I can't compete with that, can I?"</p><p>"That's not to say you're a slouch either, Karma." Diana said. "You both are extremely skilled. Nagisa is just very special. We've never seen anyone like him <em>since</em> 47."</p><p>Getting a closer look at the assassin’s features, he couldn’t even determine a country of origin. He was the perfect mix of races, making him ideal to blend in no matter where he was currently located in the world. Nagisa wished he could know his story, but knew it was for the best to keep that a mystery.</p><p>Was it really true? Was he really an equal to the Silent Assassin himself? Maybe he really was meant for this line of work all along. It made him wonder what Koro-sensei would think of all of this...</p><p>“Regardless of skill, we are very grateful to have even made it this far.” Nagisa said. “Just so you know, Miss Burnwood, Karma and I work best as a team. If you want to have us perform well, we'd have to become a package deal.”</p><p>Diana pursed her lips as she thought a moment. E-Class's files indicated that every single student in that class functioned as a unit, and even saw each other as close friends, even family. Something Director Eric Soders would no doubt use as leverage should the pair become turncoat assassins. But there was something special about these two. Despite their mental issues and nuances, they were incredible professional killers. Nagisa, especially.</p><p>
  <em>To match 47 is damn near inconceivable, but it seemed that it was possible. </em>
</p><p>Assassin teams within ICA weren't uncommon, but they were also rarely implemented. There could be a chance these two would certainly shine...</p><p>"Yes, I had a feeling you two would be." Diana said. "Were your whole class here, you lot would probably be the largest team of assassins the ICA had ever hired. But a duo of assassins is always welcome. After all, not everyone is 47."</p><p>"You got that right." Karma said. "But you're talking to two people taught by Koro-sensei. We may not be the Hitman, but we'll definitely get the job done. I don't think you or the big wigs will regret having us work for you."</p><p>The veteran Handler nodded. "Very well. I'll have a word with the board to see that you two are paired together on missions." She said. "As for your Handler, I think I have an idea of who to ask. I'll be hand selecting one for the both of you personally."</p><p>Karma tilted his head.  “So, you won't be our handler, then?”</p><p>Diana shook her head.  “I can't.  47 is already a handful for me.”</p><p>Nagisa nodded.  “I understand.  Being a handler for someone like him is a lot of work.”</p><p>With a smile, Diana stood up, unplugging the flash drive and replacing the photos back in the manila, slipping it under her arm.  “You can certainly see I've got my work cut out for him.”  She quipped.  “With that said, I think that's all to discuss regarding your results.  If you like, I'll walk you out.”</p><p>The duo stood up as they followed suit while Diana lead the way.  “So, where do we go from here, then?”  Nagisa asked.</p><p>“You disappear.”  She said, echoing what she said to 47 twenty years ago when he passed the final exam.  “Stay on the move, and blend in with the world.  When we need you, we'll contact you.”</p><p>Karma chuckled.  “Nagisa's pretty good at that.”  He said.  “He's always been as sneaky as a snake, even back in E-Class.”</p><p>Nagisa smiled as he ducked his head a bit, almost bashful from that compliment.  While Diana smiled as she turned to them while they walked.  “I trust you two will be quiet when on your downtime.  Just try not to have too much fun out there.”</p><p>“Of course, Miss Burnwood.”  Nagisa said, nodding.  “We'll be good.”</p><p>“We don't get to party?”  Karma pouted.  “That's lame.”</p><p>“You should have thought of that before you joined.”  Diana deadpanned.  “The life of an assassin has no room for debauchery.”</p><p>“And yet the Hitman spoils himself with a nice bespoke suit?” Karma asked.</p><p>Diana paused before smirking.  “Touche...”</p><p>As they reached the lift, they entered and descended to the first floor.  On the short ride there, Diana couldn't help but sate her curiosity.</p><p>“I've actually wondered, boys.”  She began.  “You two are obviously skilled in assassination after your days in E-Class.  But... what was it like?  Killing your teacher?”</p><p>Karma and Nagisa looked at each other before their gazes fell to the floor.  A silence washed over as the two reminisced silently about Koro-sensei and the way he made every student in E-Class a much better person.  Were it not for him, it'd be a wonder if they'd be where they even are in life currently, let alone being a part of the ICA.</p><p>Nagisa was the first to speak.  “That was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do.”  He said.  “We had to do it, but killing Koro-sensei took all my strength to go through with it.  I cried for hours after I drove that knife into him.”</p><p>Karma nodded.  “First time I ever cried, too.”  He said.  “We all cared deeply for Koro-sensei.  Having to kill a target you love is the hardest thing anyone can do.”</p><p>Nagisa looked at Diana sullenly.  “I just hope the ICA doesn't task us to do anything like that again.”</p><p>Diana thought for a moment.  'Killing someone you love'.  Is that what it was like when 47 tried to kill her years ago?  When Benjamin Travis took over the Agency, after Diana froze everyone's accounts and drained the ICA dry to keep Victoria away, she nearly paid for it with her life at 47's hands, yet the Hitman never pulled the trigger in the end.</p><p>It was still something 47 and Diana never talked about at great length.  Both preferred to keep it that way.</p><p>Diana serenely smiled at the pair, shaking her head.  “We won't.”  She said.  “ICA will never make you undertake a contract that involves killing a loved one.  Quite the contrary.  Just as Karma said, you'll mostly be eliminating really bad people who are the worst.  Dictators, corrupt politicians, to the typical scum that society has bred.  We may deal in blood money, but we're not monsters.”</p><p>Karma and Nagisa smiled at that.  “Maybe we may just enjoy working here as assassins.” Karma said with a beaming smile.</p><p>Diana nodded as the lift doors opened and were lead to the door.  Before she held it open for them, she spoke once more.</p><p>“You should be able to hear from your new Handler within a day or two.”  She said.  “By that time, we should also have your first mission ready to go.  If I were you, I'd sharpen up your wardrobe before setting off.  You never know when you might need to look professional.”</p><p>Karma smiled as he wrapped an arm around Nagisa's shoulders.  “Don't worry, Miss Burnwood.  I've already promised Nagisa I'd get him some new clothes after this was over.  Next time you see us, our new clothes are gonna put the Hitman to shame!”</p><p>“I'll be sure to let him know he has competition in fashion.”  Diana quipped.  “I have a feeling you two are going to make quite the splash in the ICA.”</p><p>“As a team of assassins, too!”  Karma said.  “Which, do you mind if we share a name I came up with?”</p><p>“Please do.”</p><p>“How about you call us Echo Team?”</p><p>Nagisa looked up at Karma.  “Echo Team?” He asked.</p><p>“Yeah, you know!  Echo as in the NATO alphabet?  Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo?  Echo as in E?  Like our time in E-Class?”</p><p>Nagisa thought for a bit, and his eyes lit up.  “Hey, I actually like that, Karma!”  He said, smiling wide.  “I like our name being Echo Team!  It's a great way to honor Koro-sensei!”</p><p>“That's exactly what I was thinking!”  Karma said, before turning back to Diana.  “What do you think, Miss Burnwood?”</p><p>Diana crossed her arms and smiled.  “You boys are something else.”  She said.  “So be it.  I'll be sure to pass along to the board that you two will be designated as Echo Team from now on.  I'll let your new Handler know about it as well.”  She then held the door open.  “Just remember.  Don't call us.  We'll call you.”</p><p>“Wouldn't think about calling you.”  Karma winked.  “You guys aren't that great for small talk, anyway.”</p><p>The two walked out as Diana waved at them.  “Good luck out there, Echo Team.”  She called out before closing the door.  As she walked away, she whispered to herself as the new initiates walked away from ICA HQ.</p><p>“You boys are going to make quite the killing...”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Handler</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>ICA Hacker David McKee, a month into joining the Handler program, learns from Diana which new Agents will be under his watchful eye.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>ICA HQ was a sizable building, and a structure as that often meant that leisurely walking would usually be meant for idle conversation and gossip.  For one man, however, he's always been a brisk walker since his days strolling the rainy streets of London.  Considering how he, a hacker, was now initiated as a Handler, this meant a lot of possibilities now.</p><p>Enter David McKee, briskly walking through the hallway with his suitcase in one hand, and laptop bag in the other.  A well known white hat hacker employed in the ICA for roughly five years, David had entered the Handler Program at Diana's behest a month ago, thinking that after all of his hacking skills, he could make for handling an Agent with as much precision as she would.</p><p>Both Diana and David got along swimmingly since the Agency had been retaken from Benjamin Travis after the Victoria incident.  He was one of the first hires after the reform, and had proven to be an effective hacker, tracking certain targets, their contacts, locations, the works.  He had even gone as far as posing as characters to fool people and tricking information out of them, a staple from his old days as a hobby hacker during his time in school.</p><p>David brushed his messy, chocolate brown hair back as he walked into his office, a vast room with minimum décor since ICA doesn't exactly seem like a hip place to work.  Blank, bright walls of white surrounded an otherwise bare, empty room that had a desk, his desktop computer, a multimonitor setup just like the one at his home, and a selection of worms and programs that he had created specifically for use at the Agency.  Dropping his bag and case behind the desk, he shed his long coat, revealing his suit that he often wore without a tie, and his black, thick rimmed glasses were pushed up the bridge of his nose.</p><p>As he was booting up his machines, a knock was at his door.  “Yes?”  He called out.  “It's open!”</p><p>In stepped Diana, her confident, posh smile decorating her features as she strode into David's office, complete with an envelope in hand.  “Diana!  What a pleasant surprise!”</p><p>“Indeed.”  She said.  “You've been rather busy, have you not?”</p><p>“That Handler initiation is no joke, Di.”  David sighed as he stretched.  “You'd not believe how close I've barely scraped by with those exams.”</p><p>“You were still tops in it, all the same!”  Diana said as she took a seat.  “You're more brilliant than you realize when guiding people.  It's a talent most don't recognize they possess when under pressure.”</p><p>“And one that when others understand they're missing it, they're rightly sodded.”  David quipped.  He leaned back in the cushion of his chair.  “What can I do for you, Diana?  Surely you're not here to say I have the potential to steal 47 from you as my own star Agent?”</p><p>“You wouldn't even get very far in that.”  She said, very cool and deadpan.  She and David were incredible in snarking, it was unbelievable.  “I am, however, here to propose something to you now that you're a new Handler.”</p><p>“What would that be?”</p><p>“Two new initiates have joined the ICA a few days ago.  They were apart of the infamous Assassination Classroom a few years back.”</p><p>David's brow raised as he leaned forward, ever intrigued.  “You're joking me.”  He said.  “Kunigigaoka's E-Class?”</p><p>“That's right.  Nagisa Shiota and Karma Akabane.”</p><p>The young hacker thought about those two names for a bit.  “Those two sound vaguely familiar.  Did one of them end up going through with killing their teacher?”</p><p>“Yes.”  Diana nodded.  “Nagisa was the one that landed the killing blow.  He and Karma passed their exams but they are the most unusual people I've ever met.”</p><p>David grabbed a pen and spun it around his fingers.  “That's a surprise coming from 47's Handler.”</p><p>“These two are different, David.  It's as if Nagisa only knows how to kill.  You'd think it's normal for him.  He's not genetically engineered, he's not military or special forces.  He's not even a traditional ninja.  He's so disarmingly kind and mundane, you wouldn't even think he's an assassin.”</p><p>David was nodding along with Diana's observations.  He already sounded like he'd be fit for ICA.  “That sounds just like 47, Di.”  He said. </p><p>“I know.  I saw too many parallels between Nagisa and 47.  It's damn near uncanny, what I saw.  Nagisa is as skilled as he is, and we both know that's no small feat.  He's going to go far if his performance is anything to go by.</p><p>David whistled.  He never thought he would ever hear that from Diana, of all people.   “And Karma?”</p><p>“Karma is an entirely different matter.”  Diana said.  “He's brutal, blunt, very sadistic, and likes to toy with his targets.  That not only makes him dangerous, but also reckless.  Nagisa has that same quality of recklessness, as well. As long as they're properly wrangled, they can make for an effective team.”</p><p>“Surely someone could set that lot straight.  I'm aware they don't have a handler, yet.  Have you got one for each of them?”</p><p>“Actually...”  Diana said, holding a finger up.  “They're set to be a team of assassins.  They've dubbed themselves Echo Team, paying homage to their time in E-Class.  As for their Handler...”</p><p>David leaned forward again, his smile wide.  “Well, don't keep me in suspense!  Who is it?”</p><p>Diana smiled.  “You will be their Handler, David.”</p><p>The younger hacker stopped twirling his pen, letting it drop onto the desk.  “...I'm sorry?”  He said, blinking.</p><p>Diana slid the envelope over to David on his desk.  “I think you're the only one that can easily keep these two young men in check.”  She said.</p><p>His eyes darted from the envelope, to his mentor, and was at a loss for words.  A bit of silence persisted before he finally spoke.  “...That's quite a bit to thrust on a first time Handler, Diana.”  He said.  “These lads are the same ones that killed their teacher, and I've read on the reports about E-Class.  If someone like Nagisa and Karma are any bit unstable-”</p><p>“They won't be another Benjamin Travis, if that's why you're worried.”  She said sternly.  Diana full well knew how someone like Karma could easily take over the ICA, but he seemed disinterested in such a prospect.  “It seems they're only interested in professional assassination.  That's really the only strange thing about people their age.  They shouldn't be, yet they are.”</p><p>David nodded.  “They were an unusual lot, E-Class.”  He said.  “I've only merely glanced at the lot of them, but they all seemed to be trained well enough in assassination.  Damn near military training, one would say.  Could that be why they're interested in just contract killing?”</p><p>“Can't say for certain.”  Diana said as she shrugged.  “I'm already aware that E-Class was mistreated so brazenly.  It's bizarre that the Japanese government let that school get away with so much abuse and elitism from students and faculty alike.  It seemed like it was such a cruel environment.”</p><p>“E-Class was home to a lot of proper rejects.”  David added.  “Unfit to their school's vision, and cast aside like piles of rubbish.”  He took the envelope and leaned back into his chair.  “I heard the school vastly improved after the headmaster was sacked.”</p><p>“Indeed.”  Diana said.  “47 also had something to do with his... permanent dismissal.”</p><p>David couldn't help but laugh.  His research on Gakuho Asano proved that he was incredibly unfit to lead an educational institution, and it was reprehensible how the E-Class students were treated.  No doubt they're much better off now than they were back then, and if Karma and Nagisa are now ICA agents, they were certainly going to shine if they truly were properly trained to kill someone like their teacher.</p><p>“He had it coming.”  David said, opening the envelope up.  “There were some right bastards there back then.”  He slid the contents of the manila out, and looked over the pictures of the initiates.  Nagisa and Karma looked so normal, unassuming and innocent just by their mugshots alone.  Nagisa, even with his short hair, looked feminine while Karma had the appeal of James Bond.  Unlike in cinema, they truly looked like globetrotting professionals already.</p><p>And to think, David would be helping them as a Handler...</p><p>“They look so young, Di.”  He said.  “Hardly out of the cradle, the pair of them. So, if I'm their Handler now, does that mean I get to authorize their first contract?”</p><p>“That's right.  Any mission you so desire, so long as you feel they're capable of handling it.”</p><p>David leaned back in his chair, putting a finger to his chin.  “Seems like they haven't been in the assassination game in three years, if they haven't done anything since E-Class.”  He shrugged.  “Baby's first assassination, I suppose.”</p><p>Diana smiled.  “Either way, I'm certain you'll be able to find something for your new Agents.”  She said.  “Don't forget you're just as capable as they are.”</p><p>“As a Hacker?  Di, you're far sharper than I am.  I just know how to crack systems and the like.  You and 47 are the dream team.”</p><p>“And for all I know, you and these two could be ICA's successors to the Saints.”</p><p>Diana had a point.  There wasn't a team of assassins like the Saints since during Travis's time in the ICA.  This lead him to wonder...“What did they call themselves?” He asked.  “Echo Team?”</p><p>Diana nodded. “Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?”</p><p>David's thinking slowly crept into a smile.  “...Now that you mention it, I do rather like the sound of it.  'Echo Team'.  Sounds thrilling!”</p><p>Diana stood back up from her seat.  “You're going to do fantastic as a Handler, David.”  She said.  “I'll leave these young men in your capable hands.”</p><p>“These hands are capable with digital manipulation, Di.”  He said as he flexed his fingers.  “They've yet to craft star assassins of the ICA.”</p><p>Diana chuckled as she strode out of his office, while David went to work on contract hunting for his new team of Agents.  A proper introduction was sure to be in order to get the formalities out of the way, but the first thing he needed for them was something far more important.</p><p>
  <em>Echo Team's first mission.</em>
</p><p>He needed something that was fairly simple, yet lucrative.  They were capable of some of the things 47 was, but not quite at the dangerous level he was at.  Picking up his phone, he dialed one of ICA's contractors.</p><p>“This is David.  I need you to snag a contract for Agents Shiota and Akabane, henceforth to be referred to as Echo Team or Echo in shorthand.  It's their first mission.  Can you find something to break them in?  ...Great.”</p><p>He hung up, and not too long after, a message popped up in his private messages, with an attachment.  Clicking on it, he looked over the details of the targets, and his eyebrows arched.  A smile crept on his face again, as he pushed his glasses up, the screen reflecting in his lenses.</p><p>The word “YARDBIRDS” showed across his screen as he uttered a single word.</p><p>
  <b>“Brilliant.”</b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. First Mission</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>David McKee contacts Echo Team to acquaint himself with his new Agents, while also briefing them on their first mission.  Before they set off for their contract in Austria, the young assassins visit a tailor in Copenhagen to get fitted for their new professional attire to go with their new line of work.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a few days since Nagisa and Karma had talked with Diana at ICA HQ. The time had zipped by for the new Agents to the point where it felt brutal. Nagisa had thought the entrance exams for high school were the most stressful thing to prepare for but after experiencing what the ICA threw at him; he would never complain about another written exam again.</p><p>Keeping to Diana's advice, the pair were continually on the move, but still keeping within Denmark and enjoying the sights while remaining as incognito as possible. They made it a point not to stay in one hotel for very long, at a minimum of two days to not raise suspicions.</p><p>At least the hard part was over and all that remained was getting everything finalized to begin work. They still needed their equipment, work clothes, and most importantly, a Handler. Nagisa was admittedly bummed about not getting Diana as a Handler, but he understood that her own Agent required her undivided attention.</p><p>With their newfound free time, the now professional assassins were anxious about getting some action in their new line of work, anticipating their first contract from the ICA, and the word about their new Handler. It was sunset as they both resided in a hotel near the city limits of Copenhagen. Karma was playing on his 3DS while Nagisa read one of Karma's Jump issues that he carried with him in times of boredom. Pausing his game and closing his console for a bit, Karma went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of soda from a few they bought from a convenience store. Cracking it open and taking a swig, Karma called out to Nagisa.</p><p>"How long do you think it's gonna be until we hear back about our Handler, Nagisa?" He asked. "I'm all for being mobile and seeing Denmark's sights, but we really need some action soon. I'm starting to get excited just thinking about it!"</p><p>Nagisa looked up from the latest My Hero Academia chapter as Karma called out from the hotel kitchen. “Beats me.” He shrugged. “Miss Burnwood never did give us an exact time. I didn't think it would take this long. Then again, we kinda are a special case. I trust her judgment.”</p><p>“I mean, I trust the same Handler of the Hitman all the same, too, but it's already been four days.” Karma said. “Do you think that's too long to even be here when we should be around the world by now?”</p><p>Nagisa closed the volume. “I agree.” He nodded. “We’ve been in Denmark for a while. You sure your parents don’t mind us using their credit card like that?”</p><p>"Oh, yeah!" Karma said as he sauntered into the hotel's living area and plopped down onto the sofa. "They don't care about what I spend it on if I'm traveling. Besides, I just told them we were going on a vacation after we graduated." He took another drink of his beverage before he winked and pointed at Nagisa, his index finger extended from the grip of the bottle. "It was honestly the best cover for our exams and visit to ICA's HQ!" He grinned. "No one has any idea we're actually assassins now!"</p><p>Nagisa recalled Karma’s family being extremely wealthy. He never met them personally since they were always traveling themselves but from the stories Karma told, they were just as eccentric as he was. He hated the idea of taking advantage of their generosity since staying in Denmark did not come cheap, but at least they had money until they finally begun working.</p><p>“Isn’t that the truth.” He said. “I still have no idea how I’m going to explain all of this to my mom. As far as she knows, I’m still on vacation with you. Assassination's definitely not exactly a job we can advertise publicly.”</p><p>Nagisa ran his hand through his short hair. He reached down to check his smartphone to see if he had any missed calls or texts from anyone up at HQ. Nothing, except for a few messages from his former classmates checking up on him that he hadn’t responded to in days.</p><p>“I'm starting to get a little worried, though. I hope the ICA didn’t change their mind about us. We did kinda scare the psychologists during our psyche evaluation.”</p><p>"I wouldn't worry about it." Karma said, setting his bottle down. "They didn't write us both off as crazy. They just know how dangerous we both can be. When you're an assassin, you kinda have to be dangerous and unsettling. Isn't that what Koro-sensei and Karasuma taught us? Even Bitch-sensei wouldn't want us going soft."</p><p>Just as Nagisa was about to add to the conversation, there was a knock at the door. Karma looked over to the sound for a moment before turning to his companion. "Nagisa, were you expecting someone?"</p><p>Nagisa shook his head. “No...?” He said, bemused. “I mean, I didn’t order room service. I even put out the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign last night.” Karma stood up and went to investigate. He looked through the peephole, only to notice no one was there.</p><p>Karma opened the door and looked down to notice a small pile of things. A fancy leather laptop bag set atop a leather briefcase with a small envelope on top. It was completely blank. Hoisting the items up, he brought the collection over to the coffee table in the living room. Nagisa curiously watched as Karma answered the door and brought back the mysterious looking items.</p><p>"Now this is weird..." Karma said. "I don't think we asked for anything like this, did we?" He grabbed the envelope and tore it open. Out slipped two earpieces and two plane tickets to Austria. With the contents of that was a handwritten note in English. Karma squinted his eyes as he read the note aloud.</p><p>"It's a gift."</p><p>As Karma read the note aloud, Nagisa smiled. “It <em>has</em> to be from the ICA.” He said as he grabbed one of the ear pieces and immediately placed it in his ear, fitting him perfectly. Nagisa then snatched one of the plane tickets, noting their destination. “Looks like we're flying to Austria soon...” He mentioned.</p><p>Karma had a look at the ticket as well. “What are they flying us there for?” He then looked up at Nagisa. <em>“...Could this be our first mission?”</em></p><p>Nagisa didn't answer as his gaze quickly turned to the briefcase when Karma asked that. His eyes widened as soon as he unsnapped the catches and opened it. Two ICA issued handguns in pristine condition awaited the two Agents. Nagisa picked up one of the guns, instinctively aiming it away from Karma, instantly remembering all of Karasuma’s firearms safety during their P.E. classes. Nagisa then inspected it afterward, before he gasped.</p><p>“Karma, these guns are real!”</p><p>The redhead glanced over to see Nagisa exploring the contents of their new kit. Suddenly, it felt like they were back in E-Class all over again. Karma crawled over and saw what the case contained. Besides the two handguns, with one currently in Nagisa's hands, they both had a magazine loaded inside the grip. There were two other empty mags with the guns, and in the center were two suppressors.</p><p>Karma removed the last handgun from the case and, like Nagisa, his weapons training suddenly came back in an instant as he unloaded the magazine to check if it was loaded. He slammed it back in, aimed down the sights, pulled the slide back and cocked the hammer back before squeezing the trigger, giving off a subtle click since the weapon was empty.</p><p>His brow raised. “Woah, you're right!” He said. “I've been so used to the old Anti-Sensei weapons, I never thought I'd handle a gun again like this...” Karma then grabbed a suppressor and screwed it into the barrel. It gave the weapon a bit more weight and tested it again by going through the motions from before. He looked over his new weapon and smiled.</p><p>“Feels just like old times, Nagisa.” Karma said. “We spent a whole year trying to kill Koro-sensei, and <em>now</em> look at us. We're actually assassins with real guns.”</p><p>Nagisa followed suit and tested the magazine and suppressor’s weight, admiring the authenticity. Even the standard issued guns were a sight to behold. These were on a whole different level than the weapons he practiced with back in E-Class.</p><p>“I’m still honestly trying to process that...” Nagisa mused as he tested his reflexes by loading and unloading the magazine several times as if it were a fidget toy. Before he got too mesmerized by the shiny new gun, his gaze turned to the laptop bag.</p><p>“What’s in the bag?” He asked, pointing to it. “You think it has what we'll contact our Handler with?”</p><p>“Only one way to find out...” Karma said, setting his handgun down. He took hold of the zippers and unzipped the bag, flipping it open. It was a very neat organization of tech that someone obviously went to a lot of trouble to preparing. Inside was one laptop secured tight to the inside of the bag, and in the pockets on the other side were two smartphones. The redheaded assassin grabbed one of phones, and powered it on.</p><p>On the screen was a very basic layout, but was loaded with a lot of apps he was unfamiliar with. Karma then looked at the vacant earpiece that was on the table, as Nagisa was still wearing the other one. He grabbed the device and plugged it into the smartphone.</p><p>“Nagisa, plug your earpiece into this.” He said as he handed his old classmate the device. “I think these are ICA issued phones.”</p><p>Nagisa picked up the remaining phone and powered it on as well. No instructions were included with either devices; most likely to avoid revealing where they actually came from. He nodded, plugging in the attached cord into the empty jack. Nothing seemed to happen. Yet, at least. Only just a notification that the devices had a signal and were connected.</p><p>Nagisa then turned his attention to the computer. “Looks like they only issued us one laptop.”He said with a disappointed tone.</p><p>"Wonder why?" Karma asked. "Unless it's because we're working together, we only needed one?" Regardless, Nagisa carefully opened it and booted it up. “Maybe...” He mused.</p><p>He watched as the computer was booting up. It looked like a lot of various programs were launching at once. Maps, file downloads, and a whole slew of ICA related things began to pop up. It was as if the window to the World of Assassination was opening up before their very eyes. As the laptop was fully booted, a window popped up with the words "incoming call" on the laptop, and two buttons with "accept" and "decline".</p><p>Karma, being the curious devil he was, clicked accept. "...Hello?" He called out.</p><p><em>"Good afternoon, Echo Team.” </em>A voice rang through the speakers of the laptop.<em> “My name is David McKee with the ICA, and I'm to be your new Handler going forward. I take it you received my gift?"</em></p><p>Karma looked everything over and glanced at Nagisa. "One laptop, two phones, two earpieces, two guns and two tickets to Austria?"</p><p>“<em>Splendid!"</em> The voice on the other end was pretty chipper for a Handler... <em>"How does it feel to be professional assassins now? Not a bad career choice for two strapping E-Class lads, yeah?” </em></p><p>Judging from the accent of the voice coming from the computer, their handler sounded English. Same nationality as Miss Burnwood perhaps? At least he wasn’t intimating like Lovro Brofski. So, this was what having a handler is like?</p><p>“Hello, Mr. McKee!”, Nagisa greeted ecstatically. “I still can’t believe we made it this far. We look forward to working with you! Are the plane tickets for our first assignment?”</p><p><em>"That's right, Nagisa!"</em> David said. <em>"Your first contract has already been authorized, but before I send you the briefing, let me go over your new gear."</em></p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>“You definitely surprised us, Mr. McKee!" Karma said. "Nagisa and I were thinking it was Christmas here!"</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
    <em>"Well, ICA springs for the best, so I did what I could for you two. Bit of a far cry from your E-Class days, I'm sure."</em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma laughed. "Tell us about it." He said.</p><p>
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</p><p>
    <em>"And gentlemen? Please, call me David. We'll be working together for a while, so let's not be too stuffy while we're professional, shall we?"</em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma shrugged. "Alright, David." He said. "What do we need to know about our new toys?"</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p><em>"Your laptop, first of all."</em>  David said. <em>"It's the very thing that keeps you within the World of Assassination as ICA Agents. As Echo Team, you have been issued this one laptop so that you both can take missions together. Briefings and intel on targets will be sent to you via this laptop when a contract has been authorized and indicating when you are cleared to engage. Be careful with it, though. I only sprang for one. And do try to keep porn off of it, because should you fill it with such smut, believe me... I shall know."</em></p><p>
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</p><p>The laptop and smartphones were very straightforward. Being teenagers not even that long ago, they would pick up up them fairly quickly. Nagisa admittedly was a little bummed he had to share the laptop with Karma, knowing full well he was ‘going to hold onto it.’</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>“Yeah, Karma. Don’t download anything scandalous.” Nagisa said, nudging the red-head.</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma nudged his friend back. “Don't worry. I'll take <em>good</em> care of it.”</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa then turned his attention back to all the various programs displayed on the monitor. “Will we be using all of these programs for our first mission?”</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p><em>If you were to use every program, you'd overwhelm yourself with a wealth of information.”</em> David said. <em>"What you see before you are merely tools to assist you on your targets. Cartography, intel, surveillance, drone and satellite imagery, the works. You name it, it's on there. I've made certain that you two are fully loaded with everything that can give you an edge in preparing for your missions."</em></p><p>
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</p><p>Karma clicked around, exploring the laptop. The amount of programs on it were astonishing. Nothing he ever recalled seeing before, and a lot of it familiar when Koro-sensei was still around.</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>"You're not kidding!" He said with a smile. "The amount of stuff you put on here reminds me of what Karasuma used when he taught us in E-Class!"</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
    <em>"Indeed! He was an agent for the Japanese Ministry of Defence, so he used roughly the same software at your disposal during your year in the Assassination Classroom!"</em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>So, this was how Karasuma kept track of everything regarding Koro-sensei. Never in his lifetime did Nagisa think he would be using the same programs the military used! He was going to have to take a closer look at it once their briefing concluded. For the meantime, Nagisa was eager to learn who their first target is.</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa took out his phone, comparing the programs on the computer to the apps. “Do we have that same accessibility on the phones as well?”</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p><em>"In a manner of speaking."</em> David said. "<em>A lot of real time information will be relayed to your phones should new details on your mission come up. Think of the laptop as a tree, while your phones are branches."</em></p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma looked over the apps on his and Nagisa's phones, doing as he was and comparing them to the programs on the laptop's screen. "So whatever we see here, you'll be able to send us to the phones, right?"</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>"Right. The idea is that whatever intel you receive will be quick to digest and help you improvise in an instant. Your missions will change as they progress, so be on the lookout for any info I relay."</em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>"Sounds like fun." Karma said, grinning. "I love a good challenge when trying to kill someone."</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>“I agree!”, Nagisa added a little too cheerfully. “This is too surreal. Like some sort of spy movie!” He then glanced down at his half assembled gun. He picked it up, once more admiring the craftsmanship of the standardized weapon. “What can you tell us about the guns?”</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p><em>"Ah, yes! Your very extensions of being assassins."</em> David said, his voice denoting that of a smile if they could see him. "<em>As you know from your days in E-Class, behind every assassin is his or her tools of the trade. However, unlike your old arsenal, you now have actual firepower in your hands. What you lads currently hold are two handguns based on the 1911, and by extension it's clone, the AMT Hardballer. Each of you have one ICA19 handgun complete with three empty magazines, and a suppressor. These weapons are chambered with .45 ACP with 7 rounds per mag. Radically different from the old anti-sensei weapons you were used to when assassinating Koro-sensei.</em></p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>Unlike a BB, these rounds come in two flavors, full metal jacket and hollow point, with one providing more piercing power while the other cuts through your target like a cheese grater, creating many channel wounds and effectively leaving quite a nasty gaping hole at the exit wound. They pack quite a bit more of a punch compared to your standard 9mm handgun, therefore these type of weapons make for fantastic sidearms."</em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma pulled the slide back, examining the weapon as David explained. "These definitely feel more weighty than the old guns we used to try to kill Koro-sensei." He said. "But they're just about the same principal."</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p><em>"Indeed. That's roughly three pounds, or 1300 grams of cold steel you're holding, Karma." </em>David said. <em>"But do be careful with these. Needless to say, the ICA19 is not a toy. Treat it with respect like any deadly weapon in your arsenal." </em></p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>“Don’t worry, David. It’s practically family already.” Nagisa said as he set the shiny new weapon back in its case. “Don’t make me get attached. I may not want to ever return it!” Not even Nagisa could say if that was even a joke or not.  “It’s a shame we don’t have the time to go properly test them out at a range. I’ve noticed we were not sent any other weapons or tools. Are they not required for our assignment?”</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>Even David was starting to note the oddness of Nagisa's behavior. Unlike most assassins, there was almost a certain... glee in his newfound profession. The files on him were true. He really did only think about assassination. It was as if the young man ate, breathed, and slept killing. But it was so hard to tell just talking to them both via voice.</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>Even Karma had that same quality. His voice sounded charismatic, almost smooth and silky. He was certainly silver tongued.</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p><em>"All in good time, Nagisa."</em> David said.<em> "That will be touched upon in your briefing. I had them carefully select a mission that was good enough to break you both in. However, those weapons will have to be smuggled in at a drop point when you get to your destination. The handguns, however, are yours to take, but be mindful how you store them. Keep them in the case I sent them in. I shouldn't have to remind you how anal airport security is, yeah?"</em></p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>"Heh. You don't have to." Karma said as he rolled his eyes. "They'll frisk you for anything these days."</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>"Exactly. I can't exactly send you lads a grand armory of weapons, can I?" </em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>“Yeah...I see your point.” Nagisa responded sheepishly. He took his case and held it close to his chest. He really didn’t intend for this gun to leave his sight until they dropped it off at the airport. “We can’t exactly take them with our carry-on luggage.” Nagisa peered over Karma’s shoulder once more, watching as he browsed the various programs, wondering which one had access to their target’s information.</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“So, David!” He said. “I really want to know. What kind of person are we going to be assassinating for our first mission? They must be real cancers on society if the ICA has to get involved.”</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>"Yeah, David! I kinda wanna know that, too!" Karma said just as enthusiastically. "Does our contract state we get to make the target suffer or do we just have to kill them and be done with it?"</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>They couldn't see it, but David was pinching the bridge of his nose after Nagisa and Karma said that. Granted their first targets were thieves but the amount of sociopathy both were demonstrating were already overwhelming, and he barely talked to his new agents for five minutes.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p><em>"Lads, you're sounding like you're cold, blood thirsty murderers rather than professional assassins."</em> David stated.<em> "I've already told you both three times, everything is going to be explained in your briefing, and then I can fill you in on other details later." </em></p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>"Hey, don't blame us for getting excited about our first contract!" Karma said, smiling. "It's not our fault we're good at what we do and we want to actually put our skills to use!"</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p><em>"I shouldn't have expected anything less from two E-Class students."</em> David sighed. <em>"Was that all you two were taught was how to kill? Surely you were taught about finesse and professionalism as well?</em>"</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>"Of course we were!" Karma said. "Don't you already know a bit about us?"</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>"Quite a bit from your files, actually. I know the two of you were some of the deadliest of E-Class, with you being the most brutal of the bunch, while Nagisa specialized in tactical analysis, and is just as cold blooded as you are, if not moreso." </em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>"Hey, so you do know about us, then!"</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>"But must I really remind you that being psychopathic is not in the job description? Your task is to eliminate the target. I've never once heard of an ICA Agent refer to their targets as 'cancers'. Surely the Assassination Classroom didn't teach you such brazen, barbaric thinking?" </em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>David had a point. This was exactly the thing Koro sensei was trying to prevent. Many times Nagisa had questioned if this assassination career was really the right path. He had this discussion many times with Karma and every time they came to the same conclusion.</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>This was what they were taught, and one of the few things they were good at.</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I'm sorry, David. You're absolutely right.” Nagisa said. “I guess we were too busy trying to justify what we are about to do that we didn’t realize it come off as unprofessional. Miss Burnwood has put a lot of faith in us. It would be a shame if we let her, and you, down. Don’t worry...”</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa grinned calmly, as if he were docile, yet ill intentions bubbled underneath his calm surface. “We’ll take care of it.<em> Together.” </em></p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>A chill ran up David's spine as he heard that from Nagisa's voice. There was almost a certain... peace to his voice just now. And the way he said that would sound normal to anyone else, but the young Handler picked up on that nuance. There was obviously something up with Nagisa. The exams proved that. Yet he was the best of E-Class when trying to assassinate their teacher. As he said, though. Diana put a lot of faith in them, and equally so into David as a Handler to the both of them.</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>Just as he gathered his thoughts, Karma chimed in. "Hey, Nagisa. Save the bloodlust for the target, alright?"</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>David spoke right after that. <em>"Bloodlust?"</em> He asked. <em>"Did he just slip into that state where he's able to kill in a swift instant?"</em></p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Karma looked at the screen, his eyebrows raised. "You felt that too, David?” He asked. “You can't even see us and you felt that?"</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>"Like some kind of shadow just crept over me. I heard of Nagisa's bloodlust, but I never felt it. Not at that level, at least. The last person I felt that sort of dread from was Agent 47." </em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Nagisa didn’t even realize he had slipped into bloodlust until Karma had pointed it out. He shook his head, blushing from embarrassment. “Uh, right. Sorry...” His mind raced, trying to figure out a way to gracefully change the subject.  It happened again. He got compared to the Agent 47 again! How did it happen twice now? First from Diana, and now from their new Handler. Nagisa took a deep breath to compose himself. There was still no way he was similar to the Hitman...</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Anyway, guns.” He said. “Smuggle them into the airport before we take off tomorrow. Is there anything else we should know before we prepare?”</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>Suddenly, to David, the shadow was swept away, as if nothing had happened. Nagisa must have snapped out of that bloodlust state. What madness did Diana grace David with as his Agents...? He cleared his throat. <em>"Right. All there's really left to let you know is that I'm your man when it comes to info on your targets, as well as any intel I'll send your way. Contact me should you have any questions about your mission."</em></p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> Karma nodded. "I think that covers it, David. We should be good to go."</p><p>
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  <em>
    <em></em>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>"In that case, I'll send the briefing over. Your flight leaves in two days.”</em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
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</p><p>“Understood!” Nagisa said. “We will definitely be in touch!”</p><p>
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</p><p>“<em>I don't doubt it. I'll leave you to prepare, Echo Team.”</em></p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa waved at the screen. “Have a good night, David!”</p><p>
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</p><p>With that, David disconnected the call. Karma crossed his arms. That certainly could have gone better. What a way to make a great first impression... "He seems like a swell guy." He said. "Did you really have to scare him with the bloodlust, Nagisa?"</p><p>
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</p><p>“I didn’t mean to!” Nagisa whined. “I’ve been on edge since we were tested. I really don’t know what came over me. I usually have better control over my bloodlust.”  He seriously hoped that he wouldn’t lose control during their assignment. Nagisa went over to the kitchenette to retrieve a soda from the fridge. “I don’t recall you being much better!”</p><p>
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</p><p>"You gotta hand it to David, though!" Karma called out. "He seems the type to be cool under pressure! I can't really think of others that can match with me when it comes to wit!" David seemed to be well organized from the sound of the call and from the gear he had sent over to the young assassins, and Karma had a feeling he'd be much better than the other people in the World of Assassination that taught for or fought against E-Class back then.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Absolutely!” Nagisa said. “He didn’t even sound that much older than us! He’s gotta be very talented if he was paired with two former members of E-Class!”</p><p>
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</p><p>As Nagisa was walking back to the sofa, there was a progress bar that popped up on the laptop, with text that said "Loading Mission Assets..." Karma leaned in closer to the screen, beckoning a hand to his short stature friend. "Nagisa, get over here!" He said hurriedly. "I think this is our briefing!"</p><p>
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</p><p>As soon as Nagisa heard ‘briefing’, he quickly downed the rest of his soda and threw the bottle in the trash before running over to join Karma on the sofa, eyes glued on the computer screen before him.<br/>
Their first assignment as assassins were about to be revealed.</p><p>
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</p><p>A map of the world booted up in a window as soon as the assets had fulled loaded, and would zoom in on Austria. As it did so, David's voice played along with the images.<em> "Welcome to the ICA, Echo Team. Your destination is the beautiful mountain vistas of Himmelstein, Austria, where you will finally get to test your skills in your first true assassination mission."</em> Three portraits then revealed themselves one by one, with the names of the individuals popping up as "approved targets". <em>"Your targets are Dorian Lang, Doris Lee, and Guillaume Maison, the three remaining members of the international gang of theives known as the Yardbirds."</em></p><p>
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</p><p>Various news articles and images of the targets would appear as David explained. <em>"The Yardbirds were famous for their daring heists, in particular, one that took place against Shamal Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, the money turned out to belong to criminals who in turn launched a campaign of violence and retaliation in an effort to identify the thieves and find the money. Feeling the ground crumble beneath them, the Yardbirds entered into a secret agreement, where the treasure would remain hidden and once the dust had settled, the last Yardbird remaining was to inherit everything. The group retired, and all members vanished. That is, until Kalvin Ritter, the Sparrow, was found dead on his yacht in 1998. You two may very well remember that from your simulation mission during your training."</em></p><p>
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</p><p>Karma rubbed his chin. "Woah, I actually do remember the Sparrow..." He whispered.</p><p>
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</p><p>The briefing continued.<em> "Despite the Sparrow's death, the other members remained elusive."</em> A satellite image then popped up, showing an opulent mansion in the mountains of Austria, overlooking a vast courtyard with a helipad near the outside.</p><p>
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  <em>"The Yardbirds never gather in one place, but this time, it's a special occasion. The wedding of Elizabeth Lang will be taking place in the platial home of Guillaume Maison with Doris Lee as a special guest. The event is planned to take place two days from now, so your flight has been scheduled for the next day as of this briefing. </em>
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  <em>Our client is Aleksander Kovac, the founder of the Yardbirds. He has stipulated that all three targets and their bodyguards must be eliminated at this event. Should any of the Yardbirds escape, the contract is null and void." </em>
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  <em>"This is your first mission, Echo Team, and I know Karma is aching to make the targets suffer, but to ensure you lot don't get carried away, I will have you two go long distance. That means this mission will be carried out as a sniper hit."</em>
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</p><p>Karma leaned in to the screen. "A sniper hit...?"</p><p>
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</p><p><em>"You both will be supplied with your own rifles courtesy of the ICA's armory." </em>Images of the weapons then popped up next to portraits of the assassins.<em> "Nagisa, you will use the Jaeger-7 Copperhead, and Karma shall have the Sieger 300 Redeemer, both incredible pieces of kit for a mission like this."</em></p><p>
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</p><p>The satellite image then panned over to a secluded spot where an old deck had been laid dormant for a while, with a circle and arrow pointing to it. "<em>There is a perfectly hidden spot in the forest overlooking Maison's villa with a suitable range for your sniping, to ensure each round hits their target. The coordinates for that particular spot will be sent to your phones as listed from its GPS location. You will have to find it on foot, as it's away from any roadways and villages."</em></p><p>
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  <em>"I'll be controlling aerial drones to keep an eye out for anyone that may raise an alarm and keep watch on the party as a whole. While it is recommended you take out the bodyguards, your responsibility is to eliminate the three main targets, as they are not allowed to escape per the contract. Remember, you're both a team of assassins. Work together, spot for one another, and make sure you complete this contract as smoothly as possible."</em>
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</p><p>The targets' portraits popped up again as David was wrapping up the briefing. <em>"Kovac is making his bid for the lost millions, it sounds like. Let's help him out, and in turn, have you make your mark and obtain your first payment on your opening day as ICA Agents.</em> <em>From the Assassination Classroom to the World of Assassination. All of your experience has lead the both of you to this moment. No pressure, though. </em></p><p>
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  <em>I'll leave you to it, Echo. Good Luck."</em>
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</p><p>In bold text, the screen read...</p><p>
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  <b>MISSION STATUS: ACTIVE</b>
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</p><p>The briefing then closed, as Karma took it all in. Their first targets. Their first authorized targets since Koro-sensei. And they were the infamous Yardbirds. Karma was smiling from ear to ear. He didn't even know what to say!</p><p>
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</p><p>To Nagisa, however, watching the briefing was like watching a movie he had been anticipating all year. One feeling was in his gut, and that was pure excitement. He looked over at Karma and judging by the look on his face, he was feeling the same right now.</p><p>
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</p><p>Then there were their first targets. The Yardbirds. While not exactly the cancers on society Nagisa was expecting, they were thieves, not exactly model citizens. Then again, their client wasn’t exactly clean either. It all seemed to boil down to money.</p><p>
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</p><p>“A sniper mission, huh? What a way to debut as real assassins.” he mused as his attention reeled back to the weapons they were going to be assigned. “I can’t wait to get my hands on that Copperhead...”</p><p>
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</p><p>“Did you see that Redeemer, Nagisa?” Karma said. “That thing looked so slick!”</p><p>
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</p><p>“I know! I just... I can't even believe this is happening!” Nagisa rubbed his forehead, in disbelief by what he just saw. “We're actually going to be on our first mission!”<br/>
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Karma shook his head as he sighed. “Man...” He breathed. “We haven't had a real target since Koro-sensei. We didn't think about assassination for three years before this.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa stood up as he closed the laptop. “We have to get ourselves ready, then.” He said. “Our flight leaves tomorrow, and we gotta get some sleep. There's not even time to familiarize ourselves with our weapons, so we're gonna have to perform a crash course when we get to Austria.”</p><p>
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</p><p>“I'm not gonna worry about that, Nagisa.” Karma said as he stood and stretched. “We handled ourselves alright when we used anti-sensei weapons. We should be able to adapt to normal weapons just fine.”</p><p>
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</p><p>“Yeah, but we don't have to worry about one unkillable target. We have to worry about three, plus a lot of bodyguards at a <em>wedding, </em>of all places. This won't be anything like E-Class.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma crossed his arms. One flight that leaves tomorrow, and they were both excited as hell to start their mission. They had to celebrate, even before the job was completed! Then the thought occurred from before they got their gear.</p><p>
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</p><p>Their clothes! He <em>did</em> tell Nagisa he'd promise to get them both fitted for new professional attire...</p><p>
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</p><p>“Nagisa.” Karma said. “We've got plenty of time before we head to bed. Let's go to a tailor!”</p><p>
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</p><p>The shorter assassin blinked as he faced Karma. “A tailor?” He asked. “We're getting suits now?”</p><p>
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</p><p>“Yeah! I told you we'd get some new threads when we became assassins, didn't I?” Karma grabbed his arm. “C'mon! Let's go! I think I can find a good tailor somewhere in Copenhagen!”  Nagisa soon found himself being dragged by Karma out of the hotel as they made their way out of the building into the streets. It was almost nightfall, and if they needed to look the part, now was the perfect time!</p><p>
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</p><p>A bit of time had passed until Nagisa and Karma found a tailor shop not far from their hotel, by roughly a few blocks. After a bit of negotiating with what they both wanted, the pair were whisked into separate dressing rooms as they both were being measured and fitted for their new clothes.  Nagisa had never been fitted properly before, as most of his clothes were baggy, despite being regular sized clothes for normal looking people. Due to his petite frame and short height, he was never properly able to fit into anything as something like pants would have to be rolled up so that he didn't tread on them. But here he was, being measured for slacks, for shirts, blazers, vests, was even given a selection of ties.</p><p>
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</p><p>Some time had passed before Nagisa was presented with an array of clothes. Of the two assassins, Karma had very quickly chosen his attire after his fitting was completed. Yet Nagisa still took a while. Stepping out of his fitting room, Karma gave himself a once over as he inspected his new, shiny black shoes, black slacks with a leather belt adorning his waist, along with suspenders and a white shirt. A black tie and black blazer completed the ensemble as he brushed his bangs back while clutching two pairs of gloves.</p><p>
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</p><p>After what appeared to be a half hour, Nagisa finally appeared out of his dressing room with his choice of clothes, and his color scheme was the exact opposite of Karma, as black shoes were complimented by white slacks, a white vest and tie and a black short-sleeved button up shirt. He <em>did</em> have a white blazer with the ensemble, but would only really wear it unless he needed to. Other than that, his current attire matched the style of clothes he wore for his uniform back in E-Class.</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma smiled as he pat Nagisa's shoulder. “Looking sharp!” He said.</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa's face reddened as he smiled sheepishly. “Thanks. I didn't think I'd ever find clothes that actually fit me.” He said, looking over his slacks. He was no doubt very happy about his new look. He then looked over Karma, noting his very classic look. “You're not so bad looking yourself.”</p><p>
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</p><p>“It looks great on you!” Karma was beaming. “I didn't think you'd be opposite of my colors!”</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>“I just thought white on black looked nice.” Nagisa said. “You, though? You already look like you should be a government employee.”</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>“Hey, don't knock the classics! You know what they always say, if it's not broken, don't fix it!”</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa smiled. “Yeah, you're right. I still think you look like you'd be a salaryman.”</p><p>
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</p><p>“Yeah, yeah...” Karma waved one of the pairs of gloves before handing them off to his friend. “By the way, I'm grabbing these for us.” He handed Nagisa the pair as the young assassin looked it over.</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>“Gloves?” He asked, looking back up at Karma. “What would we need this for?”</p><p>
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</p><p>“We gotta keep our fingerprints off things somehow.” He said. “Plus, they'll be helpful so that our hands don't get sweaty from handling our weapons.”</p><p>
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</p><p>“Ooooh...” It dawned on Nagisa. “Good idea!”</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma was still smiling. While Nagisa was grateful for the gloves, Karma was still being kinda coy. “What's up now?” He asked. “Do you have something else up your sleeve?”</p><p>
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</p><p>“Maybe...?” Karma then stuck his tongue out playfully.</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa smirked. “Alright, Karma. I know that look. What do you have up your sleeve?”</p><p>
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</p><p>“C'mon. I'll show you.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa followed Karma to a watch display case that was near the front door. They often had very opulent looking watches to compliment a crisp suit, and Karma had quite the surprise for the pair of them. As they were being fitted, Karma was able to place an order for a custom engraving for each of them.</p><p>
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</p><p>As the salesmen brought their watches back for them, Karma handed Nagisa his watch case. “It's not Christmas, but I think you're really going to like it.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa opened the box gingerly, and sure enough, inside was a very expensive 24K gold watch, easily worth a lot of money. He was breathless, and only uttered a singular...</p><p>
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</p><p>“<em>...Wow.”</em></p><p>
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</p><p>The surprises didn't stop there and Karma leaned forward. “Look on the back of the watch.”</p><p>
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</p><p>“The back...?”</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa turned it over, and on the back was something that made him gasp. It was a snake, coiled up as the head outstretched with its forked tongue out. Nagisa had always been very similar to a snake, as Karma had noted back in E-Class. Since they first met, Nagisa was quiet, unassuming, and cold and calculating like a predatory serpent. He was able to strike quickly, quietly, and effective, just as he did with his duels with Akira Takaoka and even his and Karma's own fight during the war game.</p><p>
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</p><p>After knowing Nagisa this long, and the fact they were both in the World of Assassination now, the taller redhead figured Nagisa could use a gift.</p><p>
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</p><p>Nagisa carefully set the watch on his wrist, glancing it over as the snake underneath was so close to him now. Eventually, tears welled up in his eyes.</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma was able to catch it, and immediately became concerned. “Hey, something wrong, Nagisa?”</p><p>
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</p><p>He shook his head, sniffing. “N-no.” He choked out. “It's just... I haven't felt this masculine in a long time.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma tilted his head. Nagisa already told him about what his mom did to him, and the constant crossdressing she subjected him to. But when he got him fitted for his suit, he didn't consider how much this would have an effect on him.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Nagisa...”</p><p>
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</p><p>The tears now came down hard, and he suddenly hugged his taller friend. Karma couldn't help but warmly smile, almost trying to humor the watch salesman, who couldn't help but also feel touched by the heartwarming moment.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Hey, Nagisa, come on.” He gently tried to pry him off. “Come on now, don't do this.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Getting his composure before wiping his eyes, he sniffed a bit before clearing his throat. “S-sorry.” He managed to choke out. “This is just too much, but I love it.” He bowed before his friend. “Thank you so much for this, Karma.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Karma pat Nagisa's back as he bowed. “Hey, we needed some new threads! I figured you'd love it!"</p><p>
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</p><p>It took a bit for Nagisa to calm down, but they were finally done with their business at the tailor. With their new suits in tow, they made their way back to the hotel as they walked the small streets. It would no doubt be quite the night to try to get any sleep. They had a job to do in a few days time and were about to take their first step into the World of Assassination.</p><p>
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</p><p>David was right. All of their prior experience with Koro-sensei had lead them to this moment. Their establishing act as professional killers. They were more than just Nagisa Shiota and Karma Akabane.</p><p>
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</p><p>They were Echo Team.</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>They were assassins.</p><p>
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</p><p>And their targets are the Yardbirds.</p><p>
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